Learn the process of making perfect smoked BBQ ribs. This was our first time smoking ribs using a home barrel smoker, and we couldn’t be happier with the delicious, tender, smoky result!

Tradition of Smoking Pork

Ever since Drew was a kid, he attended “The Barbecue.”

Among our family and friends, The Barbecue is a long-anticipated event that happens every Fall in the mountains of Upstate South Carolina. It is an annual tradition of family and friends from far and wide gathering at a small, scenic lake for the weekend. It’s loved ones huddling around a huge homemade smoking pit, enjoying delicious smoked pork and good times together.

I had the privilege of joining this event when Drew and I started dating in college. It pretty much sealed the deal for me with Drew.

Okay, maybe I had already made up my mind that Drew was the man of my dreams, BUT getting to be part of something so special every year was certainly icing on the cake!

Nothing tastes quite as good as the smoked pork shoulder of The Barbecue. It is open-fire taste and nostalgia in every bite!

This post contains affiliate links. Find our full disclosure here.

Watch Drew’s First Time Making Smoked BBQ Ribs

Our First Time Smoking Ribs at Home

With a rich history of pork shoulder smoking, Drew has been itching to give meat smoking a try at home. I mean, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to capture the taste of good times and an open fire all year round?

We may not be completely new to smoking pork shoulder, but we are total newbies when it comes to #1 – smoking any other cut of meat, and #2 – using a barrel smoker to smoke meats at home.

We recently got the opportunity to try all things smoked meat when Pit Barrel Cooker Co. (found here) generously sent us a barrel smoker outfitted with all the accessories! We’re so excited to try all kinds of meats and more with this thing.

The first thing we tried with our new smoker was BBQ ribs.

So like I said, when it comes to smoking anything other than pork shoulder, we’re beginners. Beginners as in, we don’t even know what kind of ribs we smoked last weekend – baby back? spare ribs? Not sure!

What we do know is that they were smoked rib perfection! Oh my goodness, I can’t tell you another time I’ve had smoked BBQ ribs that good.

They were tender and juicy, crispy on the outside, spicy and sweet, and of course extra smokey!

Since this was our first time ever smoking ribs, we closely followed the step-by-step pork ribs video on pitbarrelcooker.com. And I’m so glad we did!

How to Accomplish Perfect Smoked BBQ Ribs

Tools for Smoked BBQ Ribs

Barrel meat smoker – we used the 14″ Pit Barrel Junior

Chimney starter – we used Pit Barrel Chimney Starter

Heat-resistant grill mits – Drew used Pit Barrel Co. Pit Grips

Charcoal – we used Kingsford Hardwood Briquettes

Lighter

Lighting fluid – we used vegetable oil

Ingredients for Smoked BBQ Ribs

Pork Ribs – we used 2 full racks of ribs

BBQ Spice Rub – we used Grill Mates Sweet & Smoky Rub

BBQ Sauce – we used Lillie’s Q Smoky BBQ Sauce

Process for Perfect Smoked BBQ Ribs

STEP ONE: Set the airflow for the smoker.

1. Open Air vent according to the Pit Barrel smoker instructions. This is dependent on your elevation.

STEP TWO: Start the coals.

1. Fill the charcoal basket to the top with briquettes.

2. Take out 1/3 of briquettes from basket and place in chimney starter.

3. Carefully Douse the edge of a piece of paper with vegetable oil and carefully light with a lighter.

4. Place the lit paper into the chimney starter with the charcoal briquettes.

5. Allow the briquettes to burn in chimney starter for about 12-15 minutes.

6. Lower the charcoal basket into the smoker. At this point the charcoal briquettes in the basket are still cool. You will be adding the hot briquettes from the chimney starter in a later step.

STEP THREE: Prepare the meat for smoking.

1. Take ribs from refrigerator and rinse with cold water. Pat dry.

2. Evenly season ribs with spice rub of choice on both sides.

STEP FOUR: Finish heating the smoker and prepping meat to hang in smoker.

1. After the briquettes have burned in the chimney starter for 12-15 minutes, dump the hot briquettes from the chimney starter into the charcoal basket inside the smoker and close lid.

2. Allow smoker to heat for about 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, place hanging hooks in one end of each rack of ribs.

STEP FIVE: Smoke the Ribs

1. Open smoker lid, and hang ribs by hooks on hanging rods at top of smoker. Close lid.

2. Allow to smoke for 3 hours.

3. At end of 3 hours, remove ribs from smoker and place in pan. Coat generously with bbq sauce of choice on both sides.

4. Return ribs to smoker, close lid, and smoke for another 30 minutes.

5. Remove to a pan and dig in!

We’ll plan on trying lots more smoking recipes in the coming weeks and months. So follow along to see if these perfect ribs were just beginner’s luck!

But our hunch is that our first time smoking ribs turned out so well because Pit Barrel Co.’s products really set us up for success!